Help with Win 95

[acb2278]

I can not for the life of me get the software to recognize the scanner. I have tried up to com eport 30 with all different boxes checked and unchecked. I am using the radio shack 20-289 cable. I really need any help I can get!

[Joseph11]

Originally Posted by acb2278

I can not for the life of me get the software to recognize the scanner. I have tried up to com eport 30 with all different boxes checked and unchecked. I am using the radio shack 20-289 cable. I really need any help I can get!

Do you have the cable plugged into the serial port or are you using a USB to serial adapter?

[acb2278]

I am using the serial port. When I try to upload or download I get the following message "time out waiting for the header" or "Expected to read back the data we just wrote - this failed. Ensure that the COM port is selected, a supported cable is attached to the COM port and the sanner and the scanner ios turned ON." I have done all these things.


IS the display supposed to change on the scanner when it is connected? Because it is not changing.

Just shows the channel it is on.

HELP PLEASE

[MilBil]

If you have more than one serial port move the scanner cable to another port and try again , it usually works .

[jsigua]

Go to Start->Run... and type devmgmt.msc to get Device Mgr. This is for Win XP. I don't know if it will work for previous versions of Windows. If devmgmt.msc doesn't work use Control Panel to get to Device Mgr. Anyway, go to Ports and click on it. This will give you the COM ports for the computer and pick one of them.

[Joseph11]

Originally Posted by jsigua

Go to Start->Run... and type devmgmt.msc to get Device Mgr. This is for Win XP. I don't know if it will work for previous versions of Windows. If devmgmt.msc doesn't work use Control Panel to get to Device Mgr. Anyway, go to Ports and click on it. This will give you the COM ports for the computer and pick one of them.

That'll work on all NT based Windows OSes (or maybe not NT itself), but there is no need to do that. That's only to configure COM port settings.

[loumaag]

Originally Posted by acb2278

IS the display supposed to change on the scanner when it is connected? Because it is not changing.

Not with the Radio Shack cable. The display will only change when the COM port actually starts to communicate with the cable. This is is a good indication of one of two problems.

1. The cable is no good. Possible but unlikely.

2. Your COM port is not selected properly or (more likely) something else is using it.

Here are the things to think about. Have you ever used the serial ports on your computer in the past? If so, are you still using them and what for? Have you shut down that piece of software so it will release the COM port?

If you know the COM port works, because are using (or have used in the past) that COM port then shut down that software, make sure it does not auto-start on boot. Shut down the computer (turn it off, not just a restart), turn it back on and try again. There are software products out there that set COM ports and cause them not to work even on a soft-boot restart.

Let us know the status.

[DonS]

Originally Posted by loumaag

1. The cable is no good. Possible but unlikely.

It might be more likely than you think. I get a lot of complaints from users who see transfer errors when using the 20-289. Often, they go swap the cable at RS, solving their problem. I really recommend the Purple cable instead of the 20-289.

2. Your COM port is not selected properly or (more likely) something else is using it.

The error presented by Win95 should indicate what's going on:

• Unable to open the port \\.\COMn: Either the port doesn't exist, or (as Lou said) some other software currently has the port opened.
• Expected to read back the data..., Timed out waiting for the header, etc.: The port exists and Win95 was able to open it (no other software using it), but when trying to communicate with the scanner, there was a failure. Possible causes: the port you selected is not the one where you have the cable connected, bad cable, serial port cannot drive the cable, etc.

The OP reports the second error(s). Here's what I'd try, in this order:

• Make sure the programming cable is securely attached to both the PC's serial port and the scanner's PCIF port.
• Make sure Win95 is NOT set to "Set RTS Line HIGH" in its Configuration -> Serial Port window. If that option is checked, uncheck it.
• Look in Device Manager to see what ports Windows "knows" about. Often, you'll see COM1 plus either COM3 or COM4 - the latter will usually be a modem. In Device Manager, look for a Modem. The "Properties" for the modem will indicate which COM port it's using.
• For each of the COM ports listed in Device Manager (except for any that are shown as used by a modem), set Win95 to use that port and attempt a download from the scanner.
• While attempting the download(s) in the previous step, watch the scanner's display to see if it ever changes to "Clone Mode".
• If the display never changes to "Clone Mode", then either your cable is bad, your scanner is bad, or your computer's serial port(s) cannot drive the cable's electronics. You might want to try another computer. Another possibility, though not very likely, is that the "serial port connector" to which you're attaching the 20-289 cable is either a) not connected to anything inside the PC or b) is connected to serial port hardware, but that serial port is disabled in either the BIOS or through Device Manager. If there are multiple male 9-pin connectors on the PC, repeat the download test(s) above with the other connector(s).
• If the scanner's display DOES change to "Clone Mode", you've found the correct COM port and at least SOME of the data is making it between the PC and the scanner. If you still get an error message from Win95, then either your cable is bad, your scanner is bad, or the computer's serial port(s) cannot drive the cable's electronics. You might want to try another computer.

Of course, if you have other software that uses the serial port, then checking Device Manager is unnecessary - you should already know the correct connector and COM port setting (based on how you use that other software). That still leaves one of the failures described in the last two steps.

If, in either of the last two steps, another computer works, you might want to invest in either a) a different cable (I highly recommend the Purple cable) or b) a new serial port for your computer. For (b), you could either get a USB-Serial adapter (if your computer has USB ports) or a new "card" to plug into an available slot on the motherboard.

-Don

[acb2278]

I am so happy I use a Mac! To program I am using my old Toshiba Laptop. I also tried using the cable on a desk too with the same results which is leading me to belive that it may be the cable that may be the problem. I am going to work through these steps this evening, and also pick up a new cable sometime during the day. I appreciate all the help.

Andy

[DonS]

Originally Posted by acb2278

I am so happy I use a Mac!

How would a Mac be any different in such a situation? Don't you still have to tell the Mac (or the software running on it) how you've connected a device? Keep in mind that neither the scanner nor the cable "identify" themselves in any way, so "plug and play", on ANY platform, will not work. A Mac, like a Windows PC, won't be able to tell you "there's a scanner on serial port X". In fact, due to the design of the scanner and cable, it won't even be able to tell you "there's something connected on serial port x".

The problems encountered when connecting these scanners are due to hardware limitations of the scanner and cable (not just the 20-289 cable, but all compatible cables), and are independent of computer and operating system.

[JoeyC]

Glad to have a Mac? You can't find any software that runs on one...